Book Description

It is the story of my past. It is the story of my life. And most of all, it is the story of our friendship, the friendship under Jambhul tree. If you happen to eat these sweet-sour, dark violet fruits of the Jambhul, they stain your tongue, they stain your mouth, they stain your hands, they stain your clothes forever, and they are difficult to remove like the stains of our friendship, the stains imparted on our souls. Raju lives in the impoverished surrounding of a chawl in then laid-back town of Pune along with his friends Kishor and Bandu. While their childhood is anything but fun, only occasionally, they have to suffer at the hands of a local bully Kalu. As they grow up, Raju is drawn towards Sweety, the daughter of Subhash who is no less a person controlling the local mob. Kishor’s daredevilry makes him stand tall against one and all. Only Bandu is on the right track, studying hard to come out of poverty. But the dice of destiny throw them on a whirlwind journey. Will they succeed in their aspirations? This story is not just about the coming of age of these boys but is also a depiction of the crumbling moral structure of the post-independence Indian society.